(The following 1a tho text of a atatoment issued by the Mnited Secretariat of tho Fourth Intometional on November 6.)
[1] Tho erisis that has shakon the Chinose Communist perty during racont months ia undoubtedly th grayoat sinco the Meo Taa-tung group assumod leadership of tho party. It hae boon marked by profound diriaiens at all lovals, including tho Political Bureau; by battles among tondencioa in all tha main fiolda, by an oxtremly violont typeof struggle; by the intervantion of certain sactora of the massca stimulated by the ruling group ond by various efforts to curb this intorvantian.
I$ ia difficult to dolinoste. exactly the actual devolopmont of tha crisis, its origin and tha composition of the groups opposing cach other yostorday onl today, It-ie likewise difficult to sstablish whother the Reo group begin with on overall tactical and strategic plan from the firat or whother th leaders waro Llargoly taken by surprisc in the avents that enaued and made sugcossive adaptations carreaponding to tho vicissitudes of the crisis.
In & goneral way, tho following phnsaas can bo distinguishod,
(on) A first phoso. oxtending from November 1965 to-tha ond of April 1966 in which the ruling group saomd to bo fooling out the ground, provoking sdamingly sceondary polemice but at the samo timo futting acrosa without fanfara A rooricntation or rectification in certain. basic: sectore {arny, industzy }.
(b) A phase oxtending from May to thea ond ef July 1956, marked by an offensive againat the Poking group ond soma aminont intellectuals; and by tha firat. wava of the "sultural revolution",
(c) A phase opened by the dugust plonum of the Goantral, Committe involving now conflicts st tho top, the socand wavo of tie "oulturel revolution? and the formation of tho so-called Red Guarda,
Tha third phaso doos not yot soom to. have endad and the situation remains charged with poasibls brusk naw flare-ups and changes.
(2) In tho first two phases of tho crisis, the dowinant thome advanced by the ruling group wos-affirmetion of tha primsey of politica in all domains, Boyond the sloganaoring ond rituelistic roferonces’ to Mao's thought, the reel content lay in the determination of the party and stata: bureaucracy to defend ond consolidates ite. hogomony in relation to other sactors cf the buraaucracy and to any actual or potential contrifugel tendency, The conflict become concrotizad in a-confrontation of difforent spocific positions on problems dealing with perapactive, partly immdiate, portly intermediate or Long. Tange.
In tho military domain an important group - whoso spokesman waa quite likely the chlof of staff himaolf, Lo Jul Ching - sought to secure relative autonomy, stressing tho Gociaiva aignificance of techniqua in a modorn war. Thig group vory likely also omphasizad the nocessity of ro-osatabliahing the allienco with the Soviet Union, tho millitery support of which wha gonsiderad
irreplacoesblio in tha ovent of imperialist aserassion agdinst Chins, The Mac= Lin Piao proun -ugiolds thea ides of the primacy of politiss over ‘tachnigue in military mattors, Thay omphasizo concrotoly . concoption of tha army moro linked to tho traditions and experioncos of the civil war end the antk- T1paneso strugelo, These traditimms sand axperiances were congidered the only valuable ones in tha avont of 4 tonventioneal typo of war by imporiolisn on the Asian continent.
In tho damin of-industry, two emferances held last spring ro= affirmed in the most omphatic wey tha tiae that tha guidine rolo in tha planta mast bo played by tha party, that any techlnocratic tondency mug be. extirpated: and, in genoral, anyone must be fought who sought to give primacy to the # spociolista and to introduce in oconomic monagommnt criteria like those apread during recont yoars in tho soviet U:ion and in the other Europonn worlers states.
I the field of cultura, the ruling group was still more obviously intont on blockin: ony contrifugal tendency, any "“autonomist" tondoncy whose aucceas, avon if oly partial, could have sorious implications extending to the entire political srann, In reviving arguments advanced among athora by Khrushchoy at the timo of hia Jnat confrontetion with tho intellectusla, Mho's partisans continuously pointed to tha danger that critical, oppositionist moyomonts in tho cultural sphere could boeoms tho vahicle of = political opp- Osition, It wos not by accident that the siversaries of the wiling group word accused of operating like a potantial opposition party and of wanting to provokes a repetition in China of tha Hungarian oxperionca with tho Potofi circle.
If the importance which such polemics have in tha ayaa of the Mao group is to be undoratood, its interprotation of Soviet dovolopmonta einca Stalin's death and tha Twantioth Congrass Bava to be borne in mind, According to the Maciata, the victory of revisionism dates from thet tims, and the brevches were opened step by step by the promulestion of # wholo new sarios of eriteria and concepts, ond by tho sudden spperrsance of multiple contrifugal tendencies within ths burenucracy iteclf, The ending of uncontested and absolute control by the political burosucracy reproasntad ono of the major enuses of an unfolding process which, 1% must be remambered, to the Chinose represents the progressive restoration of csapitaliam,
heconling to tha official documenta, foreign policy progjloms do not « lie sat the heart of the conflict, It 1s particularly syoptomatic that there : is not tha least nllasion to differences on tha war in Viotnem or on tm oct- ' ober 1965 eventea in Indoiesia, Wayorthtless, it ia certain that on internitionel * questions, the polomica developed with pertieulear sharpness and intensity and the ineroasingly dramitie ctirse of tho crisis wes determinod ¢2 45 largs degree by tha course of the situation in tha Indochina peninsula, particularly follawing tho intansifiestion of the asenlation and tha incranaing dangor of imperialist aecression against tha Ohinese reoublio,
(3) In accordenco with long-standing burgaucretic tradition, tha ideas sdyanced by critical olements and oppononts are not diractly exprossed by those invelyed, but indicated by tho group thet wins out, The yory anormity of cartain accusations, the repetition of stercotyped cliches uatd many tims
mn other contexts, tha positions taken in recont yeers by some of the main figures undor firc, suffice to placo in doubt the accuracy of tho version offered by tha Maco group, jccording to them the entire opposition advocated out<end=out Khrushchsvyiat orientations end mda commen cause with forces peeking the msetoration of capltalism, Tho rasl question at fasuo ia ‘most certainly not. the rastoration of capitaliam, Wheat ds involved assontially is on intraburesucratic conflict, affecting vorious layors, over what line to adopt in rolation to crucial isause of the praesent gstigo and to the longrango problems of parapoective confronting the bureaucratic lasdership at this atage, Tho apecifice social wight of bourgeoia ond rasterationiat foreos in the dynamics of Chinoss society is after all negligible and any explanation of the current crisis based on tho hypothesia of n doncerous upsurge on timir part ¢an ba diamissed ae foleo ond tendentious. Moroomr, if the ruling group had wished to atriko border at those forces, in porticulnar, by onding thair still existing privilogeas, thoy tould have done 20 rather essily without touching off 4 orisia in tho party.
Tho Mao group, however, was up against really eriticnl olements ond opponents of different oriontationa,. There is ne doubt that for years tendancies have. existed in China that could be legitimately charsctorizad as Khrushchovist, in the sense that thoy hava criticized tho concepts and attitudes of the prasent losadership on the basia of a stand enalcrous to that of tha lesders of tha Soviot CP and most of the Communist parties, But thara aro also some who especially denounce tho bureaucratia methods of tho ruling group (referring at times to the battles of ten yeara ago), ite extreme soctarianism; and therefore probably also certain opportuniat orientations on koy questions of the intormstional workorsa movermnt, Tha offioinl documents thomsolves have alluded on a numbcr of ocecas-ions to tho cxiatoneo of critical left olemonts (“loft opportunists," according to tha well-known: tomminoloazy), Thoroe is no doubt olthar that commencing ot given momonta contriat tendencies dovalopod cither in ralation to "intermedintot positions adopted on soversal political or tactics] protloms or in relation to a conciliatory attitude aimed at blccking s complete rupture botweon the cpposing groups and at arciding a fait accompli,
Under the praesent conditions it is impossible to evaluate with certainty the relative strength of the different opposition tendencies. But it is clear that tha 'Krushphevist' tendency can ba considered the mast dangerous for tha Mag group in thea immadiate perial ahead, particularly beceuca of the powerful international support it might have and which a leftist tendency, moving toward 9s revyolutionaty Marxist orlentation, clearly would not have,
(4) The struggle has turned cut to ba probably much sharper and much longer than the ruling group counted on when it took tha initiative. That is why it has raised the tenor of its harangsues and conducted campaigns at 4 frantic pace, culminating in the demonstrations of August<Septamber snd the actions of the Red Guards, The plenum of the Central Committee, fellowing 8 battle lesting some months was held after the elimination of Chief of Staff, of Peng Chen sand o whola series of other leading figures and was the scene of dramatic conflicts, The Mao group won’ by @ very close margin after cading soma concessions, at least on paper, particularly to the centrist alements,
The explanation for this new outbresk of the struggle is to be found in two facts: on tha one hand, the first wave of the teultural Fevolution’ ran into vigorous resistence; and on the other the isolation of the Chinese OF in the international Communist movement bocame groater following the estrangement of the North Korsens, tha breakaway of the Japaneas, and the difficulties encountered with the Nerth Vietnamese. But once again it waa the ‘course of tho war in Vietnam, with ts now phases of escalation andtha growing threat of an attack on China, that provoked a new confrontation at the leval of the top landing bodies themaclves,
(5) The seeond wave of the teultural rovelution’ and the forms= tion of the Red Guards wero the products of = situation of this nature within tho party. In face of resistance and hesitation of a1] kinds, the aroup ossenbled around Mao and Lin Piao decided to mobilize the massos partially and to gain a new instrument of praasura capable of boing used against a part of tho apparatus of the party end the state, ‘Tho decision was to tako O distinctly limited sector - the student massoa - with which the Mao group wanted to ostablish close relationa and which it also con sidered it could control ond channalizo moro oasily, It is nevertheloss significant that massis: word called on to intorvena in intra-burosaucratic conflicts and that Mac and Lin Pino, in order to hobilizo the studenta, word obliged to uso ideological thems that could have a favoursblo acho mong more radicalized and politically ¢onscious layors (ace, for oxampla, in tho 16-polnt document the affirmation of tho domocratie rights of minorities and the reminder of the domocratic rovolutionary tradition of tho Communo),
The fed Guard movomant thus hed = factional origin, and ite ain as outlinod in innumersblo texts, is sssontially to holp tho ifae group fight ite advorsarisa, including those within the political soctor thet waa profoundly split in tho courso of the struggle. Bat tho woapon of the Hed Guaris proved to bo wory dangerous and throatenod to becoma traneformmod into a boomormng. da a mattor of fact at lenat somo soctors of tha moyomonG did not limit thamselves to singing th: praises of Mee, apreading hia works and destroying forsign symbole, Thoy sougkt ta trangbete into practice certain curront ideological slogana, In other words thoy bogan to act mot only umdor the inepirction of onticapitaliet and vaguely anti- “Ons rvative sontimonte but wont so far se to attack privilezos ef tha hurcaugracy and to balld a firo under soma of the beroaucrata, inoluding those who suceosded the Pong Chen group in tho Peking loadorship, Tt. wha difficult for tha ruling group to denounce the infiltration cf tho onemy into tho party ond state at ayery leyol, and at tho same time to domagogically exploit the real equalitarion aspiratione.of tho masses, without baring tha govemont inspired in this wa hitting also at the aymbols of bureaueratic powor and tnking on tha sottline of sceounta with certain officials ind ruling bodies of the party itaclf. It is of course diffiewmt to dietinguish botwoon ths sponteancous movyos undertaken by tho Had Guarda and uwttions undertaken on decisions from above. St a whele sorties of facta amatiating from various soure¢a as well as o soriss of warnings and official ippoela for order aimed, from all the ovidance, st slowing down and channel izing tha movement, testify to the fact thet tho atudents, to soma extant at lonat, struck blows against som roprosentotives of the burgaveracy, tod,
and were ready to unleash actions which. the burgaucracy os a whole had
food rengons to bealt a9 quickly as possible,
(6) The ieasuo remsins wide cpor after the naw wove of the
"cultural rovolution' ond the ruling group deca not seom to bhava bean able
to Tre-gatablish o rel tively stable oguilibriom within its midst, Tks
Opposition to its policios and tho roaistance te the actions it sponsora
continues on & yost scolie, oven thouch it cmanstos from vaerlous gocters
and from differant ond ovdn opposed pointa of viow, Dranontie changos. and
abrupt turns could still oceur in 3 rolatively shert tims,
4 factor that sceelorated the settling of sccounta, making tha
oriaia so dramitic is, 46 wo havo acon, tho porapoctive of tha Ginesa
leaders, that an imperialist sggrossion will probably be Isunched in the
short run. It is precisoly with this in mind thet the Mao group sought
to reinforca its positions, to eliminate 411 resistance, organizing oven
& paychological mobilization (this operated particularly in tho formation
of tha Had Gunerds and in tha choi¢e of criteria for their organisation and
of the ideclogicel themes), On their side, the advorsaries of Mao and Lin
Piso wera draw into a fight in order bofore it was too late, to change sn
orientation which thay considered falsa, If on ageroseion sctuslly dosa
teka plees, all the hypotheses and positiens will rapidly be testdd,
It is possible novertholess that tho Mao. croup likewise believes
that the porapective cf war ean bo avyoldod, Certain aspocta of its : o> amica
in recont months (particularly in tho fields of industry and ceononic
dovalopmant}) sequire mesning in the light of this hypothasia. If thia
turned out to bo the enso, tho problem would bo posed in less dramatic and
urgont terma, tho tonsions would not bho of en oxplosive neture in tho
immodiete future, Bot tho ruling group ie precéenpiod with proparing a
long strugglo against tondoneios that today aro still rolstivaly woak and
with eliminating at onea any incipient evolution iike that in tho USSR at
tis timo of Ehrushchoy and his auctcssors,
In any casa, tho Chinese loadership will amarga much weaxened
from this test. Up to now the masses sow it as homogoencous and etroeng,
standing in the tradition of tho victorious rayolution. But divialona
haya appoared oponly anc tha woar and tear hos proved to ba sorilous, From
now on tho loesdorshin wlll be jidped by tha oadras. and activities: and alec
by the brood missoa in a much more oritical and questioning spirit, This
Could faoilitate the formation of 1 now vanguard.
(7) In the courao of the recont crisis, somo people agnin sdvancod
the thesis that Chins is undergoing 4 Stalinist cycle enslogous to that of
the USSH after Lenin's death,
Without reposting all the arguments oadvenced by tho roaclution
of our Inst world tongress, wa oan nota, howovar thot tho intarnotional
political eriontations of the Chinese CP, howover much we have criticized
tham, cennot be oqueted to the traditional Staliniat lines of policy; snd
as for domestic policy, particularly oconomic policy, tho apecilfic traits
that wo have amphsasizad many tims still ozist, In addition it must not